vncnus Page 116
Page 116
Baal quickly arrived at the third-floor corridor, his black robes like...
Chapter 361
It drifted like dark clouds, exuding a suffocating chill of death.
98. Deviation from the plan
Isis and Midnight pressed themselves against the wall, their breathing rapid and shallow, afraid to make a sound. Baal stood at the other end of the third-floor corridor, the old man's body no longer contorted, but returned to its hunched posture, the short spear in his hand tapping the ground lightly, producing a rhythmic knocking sound.
pop, pop, pop
"The clock ticks, the gears of fate turn, weak mortals, do you really think this little trap can hold me?" Baal's voice was deep and calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure that solidified the tense atmosphere in the merchant castle, making even the air thicken.
Isis bit her lower lip, a spell already prepared in her hand. Under her control, the magic network formed a peculiar structure, a high-level spell she had "remembered" when the Heavenly Kingdom's Holy Rank collapsed in Shadow Valley—a spell that did not belong to Faerûn.
Midnight was also preparing her spell, and then, in perfect unison with Isis, leaped out from around the corner, simultaneously unleashing the completed spell. Isis created a tide that flooded the corridor and surged toward Baal, attempting to hinder His actions; Midnight, on the other hand, created a massive, semi-transparent force field, a flying palm, trying to slap Baal off three levels of the corridor.
Baal's movements remained as slow as a candle flickering in the wind, yet he seemed to have spotted the weaknesses of the two spells. His body twisted and moved forward, like a decaying tree swaying in the wind, yet he precisely avoided the flying palm strike. The tide, in fact, coincidentally bypassed his body as it collided with the corridor walls. The whirlpools that swirled within the tide always "followed" him, as if he were the master of the tide.
"Too weak. You know nothing about the gods," Baal commented softly, as he flicked his wrist, sending two gleaming throwing knives hurtling through the air.
Isis and Midnight were prepared; the magical shields they wore erupted with a brilliant light the instant the throwing knives made contact, deflecting them. Even so, they still felt a chill that went straight to their souls through the shields, sending shivers down their spines.
The tide of magic receded quickly, and Baal continued his pursuit. A golden flash rose from below, and Piergalen's two-handed sword, imbued with the paladin's resolve, struck Baal's back like a meteor. A divine light swirled around the blade, the paladin's power to vanquish evil gathering.
Baal was forced to halt his pursuit. As the force field blocked the blade, he slowly but precisely sidestepped, avoiding the divine radiance emanating from it. The sword grazed his robes, leaving a deep dent in the wall. Piergelen frowned slightly—Baal was indeed an evil god, yet the mortal body he inhabited was able to evade the Demon-Slaying Slash's lock-on. Had he taken over the body of a benevolent person?
Limited by the terrain, Razor Tooth followed Pilgrim to the third floor. Its massive dragon body occupied the entire width of the corridor, resembling a moving mountain.
"Proceed according to plan!" Razor growled, launching a furious barrage of attacks at Baal. Its forepaws swept across Baal, crushing the corridor wall as it moved, followed by a downward arc with its wing hooks, then a sweeping slash with its tail blade. It spun around, its massive jaws, full of sharp teeth, snapping at Baal. The series of attacks was executed in almost a single, coordinated motion, giving Baal absolutely no room to dodge.
However, Baal's solidified force field was an invisible and unbreakable barrier. Every attack from Razor was blocked by the force field, greatly reducing its speed, and could only push Baal back a few inches without causing any real damage. Even so, this was enough to tear apart an ancient dragon's ferocious offensive, and it successfully restricted Baal's movements, pinning him firmly to the spot.
Without hesitation, Isis and Midnight took advantage of the moment when Baal was tied up by Shaving Tooth and Piergellen and quickly ran down the corridor to the fourth floor.
“This shouldn’t be our plan,” Isis whispered to Midnight. “The mentor’s plan is to detonate the bomb after closing the barrier, not to hope to defeat Baal!”
“What’s the point of saying all this now?” Midnight replied. “The lords of Piergalen and Waterdeep have already made their decision, and Kelburn has agreed. There’s no point in us objecting.”
Isis bit her lip: "I'm worried that Shaving Teeth and Piergellen might be in danger."
"Let's execute the plan first, and not let them down for trusting us." Midnight pulled Isis along as they continued running.
Baal's gaze swept over their fleeing figures, a flicker of understanding and contempt crossing his face. He knew perfectly well what plan these two girls were carrying out—they wanted him to relentlessly pursue them throughout the merchant fortress until enough had worn down his ordinary, aged saintly body.
A brave, but foolish plan.
“Wishful thinking,” Baal muttered, his wrist flicking again, a dagger pointing at Razor’s eye, forcing it back half a step. This brief opening gave Baal the chance to turn, and he met Pilgalen’s attack with slow, deliberate movements.
The son of the paladin's two-handed sword traced a perfect arc, showcasing the mastery of swordsmanship to its fullest extent. The light of the paladin's conviction once more coalesced on the sword; even in the face of the gods' silence, his conviction still commanded immense power.
However, Baal seemed to see through Pilgalen's every move. His short spear deftly blocked the weakest point of the greatsword's swing, parrying the sword's edge in an impossible way. At the same time, the spear tip sliced across the sword's spine, aiming straight for Pilgalen's throat from an unbelievable angle.
Pierguson, relying on his legendary combat instincts, dodged by tilting his head. The spear tip grazed his neck, leaving a shallow scratch on the steel neck guard of his armor. A chilling sensation traveled through the armor to Pierguson, instantly numbing the left side of his face.
Razor pounced again, its massive body completely destroying the corridor. Its thorns shattered the walls with dull thuds. Its attacks remained fierce, with claw strikes, tail lashes, wing sweeps, and bites coming in waves, forming an impenetrable net of attacks.
The offensive could not break through the strange force field defense enhanced by Baal's divinity, but the enormous impact also made it difficult for Baal to move even half a step.
Baal was pinned down in a corner of the corridor, struggling to parry Pilgaren's relentless attacks with only his cane and short spear.
During the brief stalemate, a soft light suddenly emanated from Piergaren's armor. The resolve of the Watchers, which had been wavering due to the successive losses, was rekindled. Under their leader's command, they fired volleys of arrows with greater rhythm, and finally, a magic-piercing arrow broke through the defenses and wounded Baal.
“The faith of a paladin is indeed admirable,” Baal said softly, “but will your god still answer your prayers and grant you the power of your domain? In the face of death, all your faith is meaningless.” The two arrows embedded in His shoulder did not affect His movements at all, two daggers shot toward Pilgalen’s hip and left leg, and the short spear of his crutch pierced toward His chest.
Piergellen did not back down; his eyes burned with an indomitable flame: "I swore to protect every life in Waterdeep, and even at the cost of my own life, I will stop your evil plans!"
His sword was raised once more, this time its radiance even more intense. Even without divine power, Pilgalen's unwavering commitment to his sacred mission still managed to unleash the divine power contained within his sword, extinguishing Baal's deadly strike.
Baal flicked his wrist again, sending three throwing knives hurtling through the air. Their target was no longer the nearby paladin's son and the toothed dragon, but rather the Watcher captain who was directing the rain of arrows. Seeing this, Piergaren leaped backward, disregarding his own safety, and raised his sword in an attempt to knock the knives away. However, no matter how fast he jumped, how could he catch up with the flying blades?
The Watchers captain, the warrior on the verge of becoming a legend, fell to the ground before he could even utter a groan, turning into a cold corpse.
“Hahaha,” Baal chuckled, “can you feel it? My power is growing stronger. Fear and death nourish me; every fallen Watcher becomes a source of my power.”
Chapter 362
spring."
With a roar, Razor spun around and unleashed a massive spinning slash. Its dragon claws, wings, and tail broke through the sonic boom and struck Baal in succession, but it still couldn't break through the strange force field defense.
“I’m tired of this game,” Baal said, his eyes suddenly flashing with a dark light. “Try real death!”
A wisp of dark golden power, visible in Isis's demonic eyes, spread throughout the corridor, as if the surrounding air had solidified, and everyone felt a suffocating pressure.
"Watch out!" she shouted.
The front-row Watchers were pierced by the micro-threads, their life force drained instantly, their skin quickly turning gray and shriveled as they collapsed to the ground.
Piergellen barely raised his hand, his palm radiating a holy light—the divine power that dispelled the undead. This power spread out like ripples, temporarily weakening Baal's divine attack and allowing the surviving Watchers to catch their breath.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Fangs launched another fierce attack. This time, he abandoned his claw and wing attacks and instead grabbed the stone pillar on the wall. Using his powerful muscles, he pulled the entire pillar out and slammed it at Baal like a baseball bat.
The stone pillar was slowed down by the force field the moment it made contact with Baal, but the huge linear impact force knocked Baal back several meters, causing him to stagger. The old man's body seemed to finally show signs of fatigue.
Isis and Midnight had reached the fifth floor. Looking back at the battle below, a strong sense of unease welled up in the two girls' hearts. This new plan had the support of the old sage and Kelben, but facing a true god—even one demoted to mortal—the battle was far more difficult than they had imagined.
"It's working!" Midnight reminded Isis, then turned and continued running upwards, moving between different floors of the castle while maintaining a safe distance, using environmental magic to restrict Baal's movements and create opportunities for Razor and Piergellen to attack.
99. Tsunami strikes
Death, especially violent or ritual death, is the authority of the Baal clergy.
Although He could no longer wield divine power, His divinity remained. One by one, the Watchers fell, their withered bodies like a punctured bag of flour, and violent death spread through the corridor like drops of oil falling into water.
Piergelen struggled to maintain his stance, the holy light on his armor mingling with the deathly power of Baal, emitting a hissing sound. Each contact left ash-like marks on the armor's surface, yet he remained ramrod straight, the paladin's conviction especially precious in that moment.
Razor roared, large patches of gray spots appearing on its scales, clearly corroded by death energy, but its dragon physique allowed it to better resist this corrosion. It swung its tail blade, striking Baal once more with even greater ferocity than before.
“Death nourishes me,” Baal chuckled, his voice like sandpaper rubbing against bones. “Every life I have personally harvested becomes a source of my strength.”
Cold sweat beaded on Pirgellen's forehead, but he stood firm, gripping his sword tightly: "You can't intimidate us! As long as there's a sliver of hope, we'll fight to the bitter end!"
“Pathetic mortals,” Baal shook his head, his tone filled with pity, “your efforts are like ants trying to stop the waves.”
His gaze swept across the surroundings, then locked onto Isis's location. That look sent a chill down Isis's spine; she felt like a frog being stared at by a venomous snake, her entire body stiffening. This was the oppressive power of divinity; even demoted to mortal, Baal was still a god.
Just then, the entire castle suddenly began to shake violently, like a giant beast groaning. The stones on the walls collided with each other, producing a dull rumble, and small pebbles fell from the ceiling like rain.
"Earthquake?" Pilgalen cursed under his breath, his body swaying with the tremors, forcing him to adjust his stance for balance. Fine beads of blood seeped from the seams of his armor, the wounds left by Baal's deathly power widening.
Tooths was equally caught off guard; its massive body, unleashing a barrage of attacks, was more prone to losing its balance in the narrow corridor. It spread its wings in an attempt to steady itself, but in doing so, it crashed into the wall on the other side of the corridor, widening the crack and nearly getting stuck between the trusses.
The earthquake grew stronger, shaking the entire Merchant Castle as if the world were collapsing. Cracks began to appear in the castle walls, and large chunks of rock from the ceiling and walls fell, exposing the swaying steel trusses inside. The Watchers scattered to avoid the falling rocks, but many were still hit and injured.
Isis and Midnight clung to the railing on the fifth floor, barely managing to stay upright.
Baal stood remarkably steadfast amidst the earthquake, as if the forces of nature could not shake him in the slightest. A strange smile appeared on the aged face of his holy body, and his once dim eyes gleamed with excitement.
“It seems fate has finally turned in my favor,” Baal said with a strange joy in his voice. “This chaos will lead even more souls to the embrace of death.”
"Oh, is it so?"
A dragon's voice suddenly rang out, and Baal, Fang Cleaver, and the others looked over to see Casalos's massive head tear through the barrier and squeeze in through the window. The iron dragon's scales reflected a metallic sheen in the dim light of the merchant castle, and its indigo vertical pupils revealed a chilling rage.
Before Baal could utter another word, a chilling dragon breath, mixed with the force of disintegration, spewed from the dragon's head, piercing through his eerie defenses and magic resistance, freezing him solid. The temperature plummeted from sweltering heat to utter desolation, covering everything in the corridor with a thick layer of frost. The death energy that shared Baal's origins also crumbled into dust in the extreme cold.
"I've only been gone for a short while and this has already caused me such a huge mess."
As Casalos spoke, his wings tore the barrier apart completely, and the entire dragon burrowed into the corridor. The massive dragon body landed steadily on the collapsed corridor, its six limbs supporting its weight on the most stable trusses.
"tutor……"
Isis tried to explain, but Casalos interrupted her: "This is not the time to talk about these things. The earthquake is just the first wave of impact. The tsunami is coming soon. Your priority now is to rescue the residents trapped in the earthquake and guide everyone to safety!"
Iron Dragon's voice was like a shot of adrenaline, quickly pulling everyone back from their shock. It coiled its tail around Baal, who was trying to break free of the ice, and continued issuing orders: "The Watchers and the City Guard are already in action. They will gather all the rescued and evacuated residents in the nearest square. Pilgalen, you take these Watchers out and direct them to join the rescue efforts. Use your aura of courage to comfort those desperate residents buried under the rubble!"
Piergellen nodded without hesitation, quickly gesturing for the remaining Watchers to form a ranks. Though wounded, his paladin's conviction sustained him; faced with an even greater catastrophe, he had no room to back down.
"The Dragon Swarm and the Griffin Knights have returned. They can quickly transport residents with mobility issues to the shelter—don't ask where the shelter came from, but the number of Dragon Swarm and Griffins is still too small, and their carrying capacity is very limited. Isis and Midnight... help as much as your magic can."
The two magical girls exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. Their ability to still use magic even as the magic network collapsed was an extremely rare talent, and it was even more precious now.
"Shave your teeth, go find the Keeper of Secrets, and have her gather all the hidden dragons still in the city and have them all join the rescue team. Tell them that if they still hide and don't come out now, they won't have to stay in the City of Glory anymore!"
Shaving Tooth opened its mouth as if to speak, seemingly wanting to defend itself against its defeat, but Casalos's stern gaze made it swallow its unspoken words. It nodded, leaped out of the broken window, its massive body spreading its wings in the air, becoming a receding silhouette.
"The tsunami will arrive in at most forty minutes, wait..."
Chapter 363
"It's all over now, then I'll settle accounts with you!"
The sight outside made all the soldiers from Shangbao gasp in shock.
The castle district and the coastal district, mostly composed of low-rise stone buildings, were in relatively good condition. However, the rest of the city appeared as if it had been maimed and twisted by an invisible giant hand. The once bustling commercial district was now a wasteland, and towering buildings were either collapsed or severely tilted. Due to the existence of the underground city, the intricate streets of Deepwater City were crisscrossed with cracks, forming bottomless ravines in many places. Choking dust filled the air, mixed with the stench of blood and fear.
"Split into five teams!" Piergelen shouted, his voice exceptionally clear amidst the chaos. "First team, follow me to the northern area; second team, take over the dock area; third team, head to the caravan area; fourth team, take over the north gate; fifth team, provide support!"
The Watchers quickly divided into groups as ordered, each led by several paladins capable of casting Courageous Auras. They had no time to hesitate or discuss, for the cries from afar clearly told them how many lives were racing against death.
Rescue efforts were underway at breakneck speed, but the entire city of Deepwater was shrouded in despair. Ordinary residents, who had never experienced such a disaster before, were in a panic, crowding the streets, crying out for their loved ones, or desperately trying to dig their families out of the rubble.
Razor swooped down from the sky. It and the Keeper of the Secrets had already gathered more than a dozen Hidden Dragons that had not participated in the interception of the Flame Fist Mercenary Group. These dragons, which usually hid in human society, now revealed their true forms. Their dragon wings circled above the ruins, releasing various dragon breaths to clear obstacles, or using their powerful dragon claws to move huge rocks and rescue survivors from under the rubble.
“The northern district is almost completely destroyed,” Shaving reported to Pilgrim, “but the situation in the south is slightly better. The wooden buildings there, though simpler, are actually more sturdy in the earthquake…and if they collapse, they are less likely to crush people.”
Piergellen was already battered and bruised. He had just led a team to clear a large collapsed building and rescue more than twenty survivors. “We need to concentrate our efforts on evacuating the dock area,” he said, panting. “The north side of the city is higher, and there is Deepwater Mountain in the city as a barrier. When the tsunami hits, the port area will be the first to be hit.”
Shaving teeth nodded and immediately flapped its wings, flying towards the dock area. It was one of the busiest areas of Deepwater City, usually bustling with ships and merchants. But at this moment, the scene at the dock was heartbreaking for the dragon—most of the piers and wooden docks had collapsed, and the roads had sunk below the water's surface. Many merchants and sailors were trapped on the floating wreckage in the streets and alleys, in danger of being swallowed by the surging sea at any moment.
Worse still, the dock area has an extremely high building density, with most buildings being wooden structures. The earthquake caused widespread collapses and fires, and smoke enveloped the entire area, making rescue efforts more difficult.
Toothpick had to risk flying low, using its wings to create strong winds to disperse the thick smoke and allow other rescuers to see the situation. It swooped down repeatedly to rescue residents trapped in burning buildings before quickly flying to the shelter.
"It's too late, we have to save our lives first!" The dragons realized the urgency of the situation, and a young golden dragon suggested, "We should immediately close the shelter and protect those who have already been evacuated."
"No!" Isis objected firmly. "There are still too many people trapped outside; we can't abandon them!"
Midnight said, "Give us another twenty minutes, and we can rescue another group of people!"
Rescue efforts continue, but the threat of a tsunami is closing in every second. From a distance, the black line has transformed into a high wall, and the seawater is advancing towards the shore at an alarming rate.
The sea began to recede rapidly along the coast, suddenly revealing reefs and silt that were usually hidden by the water at the docks. Ships ran aground on the suddenly exposed seabed, tilting like overturned toys. This unusual low tide was the most dangerous sign of an impending tsunami—the sea was gathering strength, preparing to destroy everything along the coast in one fell swoop.
"Retreat! Retreat immediately!" an experienced sailor roared, his eyes filled with terror. "A tsunami is coming!"
Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, a black line appeared on the distant horizon. The line expanded at a visible speed, transforming into a thirty-meter-high wall of water that was hurtling towards Waterdeep at an astonishing pace. The leading wave churned up white foam, like a hungry beast opening its mouth, ready to devour everything in its path.
The first wave of the tsunami directly destroyed the entire dock area. The 30-meter-high wall of water, slowed down on the continental shelf, still maintained a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour, crashing into the shore with devastating force, instantly pulverizing the ships and buildings on the dock. Wooden structures were shattered under the water pressure, stone buildings were uprooted, and even some medium-sized ships were thrown into the air before crashing back into the churning water.
The seawater, carrying massive amounts of debris—broken wooden beams, shipwrecks, rubble from buildings, and even lives tragically swept away—crushed the low-lying areas of Waterdeep like a giant shredder. Buildings that had been weakened by the previous earthquake but had not yet collapsed crumbled completely under this second wave of impact, collapsing one after another and kicking up even more dust and debris.
The water rushed through the streets, splitting and churning into a raging river. Residents who tried to escape but failed to reach higher ground in time were swept into the flood, without even a chance to grab onto floating objects, and quickly disappeared beneath the chaotic surface of the water.
The northern part of the city is on higher ground, bordered by a cliff that rises gradually from Deepwater Mountain in the south to the north. The cliff and the Troll Wall effectively buffered the impact of the tsunami, but the seawater that had breached the walls still relentlessly flooded the city. The water level was rising at an alarming rate, the streets turned into canals, and buildings were submerged layer by layer. Survivors climbed onto rooftops in terror, shouting for help.
The massive surge of water created waves several meters high in every corner of the city. These secondary waves further destroyed everything in their path, sweeping up broken timber, bricks, glass shards, and various other objects, forming deadly turbulent currents.
100. Where did Casalos go?
The seawater bypassed the deep-water mountains and castle district, converging in the low-lying commercial area, like a giant serpent controlled by the mad ocean god of Ambori, violently charging into the long-lurking lair of its prey with surging fury.
The low-lying commercial district of Waterdeep was quickly submerged by the sea, turning the once prosperous and bustling area into a vast expanse of water. The Black Staff Tower, one of Waterdeep's iconic landmarks, stood firm amidst the disaster, like a solitary lighthouse guarding the raging sea. However, other major buildings that once stood alongside it, such as the Fountain of Knowledge, the Hall of Justice, and Dawn Peak, were shattered by the combined impact of water and earthquake, their pristine marble walls reduced to rubble. Ironically, the gods they enshrined—the high and mighty benevolent deities who normally received the devout worship and offerings of their followers—were nowhere to be seen in this catastrophe, as if they had never existed, neither protecting their temples nor saving the lives of their faithful believers.
Even if they hadn't been banished to the mortal realm by Ao, the outcome would have been the same.
After the first tsunami, the water level stabilized temporarily, and the city seemed to fall into a deathly silence. Floating debris and belongings gradually found their place as the current slowed; some clung to the rubble protruding above the water, some piled up on the corners of buildings, and some simply floated quietly in the gentle current, resembling from a distance bizarre artificial forests created by sudden death and destruction. However, this was only temporary calm. The rapidly receding sea meant this was merely a brief respite. Subsequent waves were forming, and they would crash down on the already ravaged city wave after wave.
From the air, two-thirds of the once bustling Deepwater City is now submerged by seawater.
Chapter 364
Only the castle district nestled on the eastern foothills of Deepwater Mountain, the elevated eastern wing, and a few tall buildings remained above the water. From a distance, the entire city resembled a vast ocean, with expansive waterways stretching from the port to the east, spanning most of the city. Those residents who had not yet been evacuated but had survived huddled on the high ground of Deepwater Mountain, the eastern wing, and the rooftops of submerged buildings, desperately awaiting rescue.
No one could be sure whether they would be met with rescue or an even more violent wave in the next moment.
Razor struggled through the air, its wings flapping in the remaining air currents, barely managing to maintain its balance and altitude. Its scales were stained with the blood and tears of humanity, along with salt crystals from the dried seawater. Its claws ached from gripping the fragile humans so tightly, and its wings were sore from the prolonged dives and ascents. It had rescued hundreds, but compared to the more than one hundred thousand inhabitants of Waterdeep, it was but a drop in the ocean. Even a dragon as strong as it was could not save many fragile lives in such a catastrophe.
Exhausted, it landed atop the tower where Pilgalen stood, panting heavily as it recovered its strength. The excruciating pain from the constricted tendons gradually washed over every inch of its bones and muscles as its body relaxed, causing it to instinctively grip the tower's spire with its claws, leaving deep claw marks on the stone pillars.